Botulism

[Erichalfbee]

Mind you, had a colicky first born, burped v dilute whiskey fumes over my parents neighbours ... but he is now 44, healthy and not an alcoholic.

Yes....I always knew it was the alcohol in gripe water that did the trick.
My mum was Polish and she said that the custom in the countryside, where she was brought up, was to give colicky babies poppy infusion

 

[mbc]

I think MBC should step in here with a link to the Welsh Dai Lama's flowchart on reading the mail (works computer won't let me!)

Always happy to oblige

 

[victor meldrew]

I read the Daily Mail daily !,
The nic says it all
VM


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[beeno]

Hi all,
It can go both ways, I am sure... probably. Was told at the cheese counter in France that my daughter at 6 years old, should not eat unpasteurised goats cheese. She was the only one in her class with natural immunity to TB!

 

[davnig]

........ and no trace of Botulism in either of the alleged honey based foods fed to the little darlings (in actual fact the homeopathic remedy not only didn't contain traces of botulism, but no honey either!)

not surprising, being homeopathic it wouldn't contain traces of anything but water!

 

[priono]

when i am doing my own sausages i ad a pinch of saltpeter to the filling which dissolves and evaporates to kill off all botulism sh**.

 

[itma]

when i am doing my own sausages i ad a pinch of saltpeter to the filling which dissolves and evaporates to kill off all botulism sh**.

Very wise, but wiser still would be to measure it.
Apart from making the meat pink, it protects against botulism - especially needed where smoked sausages are concerned.
It doesn't actually evaporate as such. Bacteria slowly break down the nitrate into nitrite (which is lethal to the botulinum bacteria). Thus saltpetre/nitrate (plus acidification - often from lactobacilli) is preferred for longer term protection - such as with salami.

While it would be "brave" (daft) to make salami (or smoked sausage) without some nitrate, I wouldn't advise adding any to honey.

 

[beeno]

Very wise, but wiser still would be to measure it.
Apart from making the meat pink, it protects against botulism - especially needed where smoked sausages are concerned.
It doesn't actually evaporate as such. Bacteria slowly break down the nitrate into nitrite (which is lethal to the botulinum bacteria). Thus saltpetre/nitrate (plus acidification - often from lactobacilli) is preferred for longer term protection - such as with salami.

While it would be "brave" (daft) to make salami (or smoked sausage) without some nitrate, I wouldn't advise adding any to honey.

Hi itma,
I have often seen mentioned concern about the amount of nitrates in our food. How is it detrimental to human health?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi itma,
I have often seen mentioned concern about the amount of nitrates in our food. How is it detrimental to human health?

It isn't

 

[itma]

Hi itma,
I have often seen mentioned concern about the amount of nitrates in our food. How is it detrimental to human health?

On its own, it ain't. The statistically healthy 'Mediterranean diet' is quite high in nitrates from the leaf veg.

In the USA, they are worried about the potential carcinogens in overcooked bacon containing residual nitrate (not fully converted to nitrite) and so only permit nitrite (not nitrate) in wet-cured bacon, but IIRC there is no prohibition on nitrate in dry-cured US bacon!
In moderation, cured meats don't seem to be statistically harmful. In theory, in large quantities they wouldn't be good for you.

The legally-permitted nitrate content these days (in the EU) is massively less than was used 50 years ago. The recipes in Jane Grigson's classic book "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery" use saltpetre quantities that would be highly illegal in products offered for sale nowadays.
I bought my first eBay "pocket scale" for measuring out tiny quantities of white powder - saltpetre for curing!

Because nitrite is so much more potent than nitrate (saltpetre), you can't buy it as such - you get it diluted with salt as "Prague Powder No 1" (or Cure No 1) - but you are still needing tiny quantities. For 1 kg of dry-cured bacon, you'd be measuring out 2.5 grams of No 1.
You really should be more precise than "a pinch" ... !

 

[priono]

Very wise, but wiser still would be to measure it.
Apart from making the meat pink, it protects against botulism - especially needed where smoked sausages are concerned.
It doesn't actually evaporate as such. Bacteria slowly break down the nitrate into nitrite (which is lethal to the botulinum bacteria). Thus saltpetre/nitrate (plus acidification - often from lactobacilli) is preferred for longer term protection - such as with salami.

While it would be "brave" (daft) to make salami (or smoked sausage) without some nitrate, I wouldn't advise adding any to honey.

Yes I know itma. I just didnt want to go into details. but u r absolutely right

 

[ianf]

jar warnings

It would appear that common sense has disappered out of the window. All mothers know that you do not feed honey to babies until they are at least one year old. Honey is a pure food and should remain that way until all beekeepers are shown proof that is not. Ianf. Isle of Islay. (Whiskey island) An other pure food in my opinion.!!!!!!!

 

[victor meldrew]

It would appear that common sense has disappered out of the window. All mothers know that you do not feed honey to babies until they are at least one year old. Honey is a pure food and should remain that way until all beekeepers are shown proof that is not. Ianf. Isle of Islay. (Whiskey island) An other pure food in my opinion.!!!!!!!

Not all mothers by a long chalk!
Sticking a dummy in honey before sticking dummy into toothless babies mouth was common practice when I was a nipper , no teeth to worry about nor botulism
VM


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[psafloyd]

It would appear that common sense has disappered out of the window. All mothers know that you do not feed honey to babies until they are at least one year old. Honey is a pure food and should remain that way until all beekeepers are shown proof that is not. Ianf. Isle of Islay. (Whiskey island) An other pure food in my opinion.!!!!!!!

In an age where people don't know where milk comes from, or believe it isn't 'safe' to eat fruit from a tree because it hasn't been processed, there are few know anything about honey.

The level of ignorance about food is incredible and most people don't know what honey is, let alone that it shouldn't be eaten by the very young.

But I agree about the whisk(e)y, particularly Islay, which is my favourite source, particularly Ardbeg and Caol Ila (even the unpeated one).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

More of a Jura man myself

 

[victor meldrew]

Some of the Islay whiskeys are too peaty for my . Taste more like creosote .i do however like a smokey malt !
VM


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

Was told at the cheese counter in France that my daughter at 6 years old, should not eat unpasteurised goats cheese. She was the only one in her class with natural immunity to TB!

If I remember correctly from my goat keeping days goat's milk doesn't carry TB anyway?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Loads of nonsense quoted now. Make children neurotic too.
Home cook, natural feed and routine ... sorted!

.

Agreed.

However dirt and filth is good for the immune system I understand.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And noone ever had a peanut allergy when I was a sprog!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

And noone ever had a peanut allergy when I was a sprog!

Same here. Maybe thats what evolution does for you?